Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-03-29
Injustice to Railroads.

1t may be stated as fact that
nothing has done SO much towards
developing the resources and promot-
ing the prosperity of our country as
the railroads. Wherever the iron
horse has pulled and snorted his way
to the front countries have been de-
veloped, cities have sprung up and
increased prosperity has gladdened
the hearts of the people. Twenty
years ago Hopkinsville was small
and Insignificant country town, with
1900 or 1900 inhabitants. Our rail-
road came and we began TO step to
the front, and now we occupy place
among The live and growing cities of
Kentucky. We have fine tobacco
market, Touring mills TO convert our
grain into flour and market for the
surplus, facilities for shipping our
produce of all kinds away and for
bringing to our doors the thousand
and one articles needed for our con-
sumption. Christian has had her
coal mines opened and developed,
many of her broad acres turned into
grazing lands for fine blooded stock,
and Hopkinsville has within five
years shaken off the accumulated
dust of ages and we behold beauti-
full, prosperous, booming city with
over 5000 people in its limits and
half as many more in the suburban
towns. Our coal was laid down at
our door last winter for s and 8 cents
per bushei, cheaper ;han We have
ever been able TO get it before. All
these benefits have been brought to
us by our railroad, while the debt in
Cured in its building has been stead
lily growing smaller until me owe
now only $6S,000, which amount will
be paid Off entirely within the next
five years. 1t is true that we have
not had the advantage of being a
competing point, but we have pros
pered nevertheless, and the railroad
has been our friend and deliverer.
For this we ought to be grateful and
looking at the matter in this light we
desire to protest against the injus-
tice done to railroads in general and
our own in particular, in more ways
than one. 1t is popular nowadays
for demagogues to cry down "monop
olies" and "soulless corporations" and
this spirit has led to persecution of
railroad companies and the enact
ment of all kinds of laws to harass,
burden and annoy them in their le-
gitimate business. This spirit led TO
the passage of the Interstate Com
merce bill, law without single good
feature that Is not obsoured by half
dozen serious faults. A law that will
surely prove TO be gigantic failure
and will become odious not only TO
the railroads but to the great masses
of people in the interior States who
will be oppressed by its unjust pro-
visions. 1t is not only by unfavora-
BILE legislation that railroads are
hampered, but they are constant
target for damage-seekers in the
courts and are forced to employ coun-
sci by the year to protect themselves
in every town from these who mag
inc themselves damaged TO the extent
of thousands of dollars when dimes
and cents would cover their real losses.
Some old hummer will fill himself
full of rot-gut whisky and spread
himself out on the track some dark
night and because a train running on
It's own track, built on its own right
of way, chances to cut him in two, his
widow flies to the nearest court and
sues the railroad company for $4,000
or $4,000 damages. The switch
tailed filly or scrubby heifer turned
out to Craze on the railroads proper
ty, is run over and killed and is at
once transformed into a blooded mare
or registered Alderney and a fabu-
lous compensation is straightway de-
These are but samples Of
the kind of litigatioH the railroads
have to contend with here as well as
elsewhere. And in closing this arti-
Gle we want to say word about the
systematic robbery of the cars OH the
track of the L. &c N. railroad that has
pre- vailed in this city for months,
Coal cars have been almost unloaded
by thieves in many instances and coal
has been even stolen and hauled off
in daylight. This stealing became
80 burdensome that the railroad COM
pany has kept special detective here
for month 10 break up this business
and we are gratiiled TO note that sew
eral thieves have been indicted and
one or two convicted. We hope to
see every one of them punished Sc
verely and it is the duty of the city
government to see that the property
If the railroad is protected better in
'uture, even II it be necessary to dou-
,le the police force.